A new group is pushing independent voters and Jewish Republicans to switch registration to the Democratic Party in an effort to tip the scales in a hotly contested party primary in one New York congressional district.
Rep. Jamaal Bowman, a member of the liberal House “Squad” that also includes Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, has been under fire for being critical of Israel while his opponent George Latimer has campaigned as a staunch supporter of the Jewish state.
Westchester Unites has sent text messages targeting Jewish voters in the Westchester County portion of the district — which stretches into the Bronx.
“Anti-semitism is on the ballot and we need a member of Congress who will stand up for our Jewish community,” the group says in a mailer.
“Send a message that our community stands together.”
It doesn’t directly knock Bowman, 47, or back Latimer, 70, who now serves as the Westchester County executive.
But its intention is clear in wanting a representative who will stand up for the Jewish people — which would seem to aid Latimer.
The mailer urges voters to switch parties by the Feb. 14 deadline to vote in the primary.
The group behind the party-switching effort was formed by an outfit called Teach Action — an affiliate of the Teach Coalition, a project of the Orthodox Union that advocates for private Jewish schools, or yeshivas.
Given the overwhelming Democratic enrollment in the 16h District that takes in the Wakefield section of the Bronx and southern Westchester, the group says the winner of the Democratic primary will all but certainly determine who the next representative in Congress will be.
“If you are an independent or enrolled with another party, it is crucial you change your enrollment to be able to vote in the Democratic primary,” the mailer says.
The group is spending six figures as part of its mobilization effort, which includes setting up an office in New Rochelle.
While the first phase focuses on coaxing voters to switch their enrollment to Democrat — at least temporarily — Westchester Unites says it will try to galvanize all Jewish voters to go to the polls over the next five months.
“This inclusive and empowering voter education and mobilization program is a first for the district and comes at a critical time,” said Dan Mitzner, political director of the Teach Action Fund.
“The reality is that with an alarming rise in antisemitic rhetoric and incidents, our Jewish community here at home is under threat,” Mitzner added. “It’s essential that the next person we elect to Congress cares about the safety and well-being of the Jewish community and all our neighbors.”
The Hamas-Israel war has emerged as a key issue in the district after the terrorist group invaded the Jewish State on Oct. 7, which has fueled an increase in reported antisemitism and heated anti-Israel rallies here in New York and across the country.
Mitzner noted that only 15% of Democrats voted in the 2022 Democratic primary.
“That’s bad for the district, bad for democracy, bad for the country, and bad for accountability,” he said. “With unchecked hate against the Jewish community on the rise, now is the time for the community and our allies to come together to participate in record numbers and take a stand against extremism.”
Bowman campaign spokesman Bill Neidhardt slammed the group for encouraging non-Democrats — even Republicans — to vote in the Democratic primary and said it was a strategic effort to aid Latimer.
“George Latimer held a fundraiser hosted by a Trump mega-donor and has welcomed Republican-funded Super PACs to spend in this race, so it’s no surprise supporters are asking Republicans to vote in a Democratic primary,” Neidhardt said. “George Latimer has abandoned the Democratic Party and voters across the district are deeply disappointed.”
Bowman, a former Bronx middle school principal, is running for a third term. He toppled veteran Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel in 2020.
Latimer, a former New York state lawmaker, has been in elected office and government for 35 years and poses a serious challenge to Bowman. He doesn’t have to give up his current job as county executive to take on the incumbent.
Bowman has also taken heat for another self-inflicted problem.
He pled guilty to one count of falsely pulling a fire alarm Sept. 30 last year in the Canon Office Building before a vote to avert a government shutdown and agreed to pay a $1,000 fine.
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